Today on Animal Fact Files, we're discussing the Pearl octopus and its kin. These spilopods are also called the smooth-skinned octopus for their unblemished mantle. The Pearl octopus and its cousins are deep-sea invertebrates, most often found more than 650 feet below the ocean waves. They can live even deeper. Some individuals, however, have been found in water as shallow as 230 feet, and only recently, they've been discovered in water nearly 500 feet deep, accessible via scuba diving. Otherwise, remote operating vehicles are required to study them in the wild.
Unlike some other octopus species with defining features like flaps of skin over the eyes or Dumbo ear-like fins across the mantle, the Pearl octopus doesn't have these. As its other common name suggests, this octopus and its relatives are smooth-skinned. There are currently just over two dozen Pearl or smooth-skinned octopus species, and their classification has a tumultuous history. New information could help shed some light on these mysterious Abyss-dwelling invertebrates.
In general, a Pearl octopus is orange to red in color with big eyes and eight arms, each equipped with paired sets of about 100 suction cups. They have some webbing between their arms that reaches about a quarter of the way down their length. The mantle of this animal averages about 6 inches in length, with females being slightly larger than males. Males have a specialized arm for transferring sperm to the female's mantle cavity. Similar to many octopus species, both parents perish after mating.
These invertebrates exhibit unique behavior compared to all known octopus species. At the depths where these spilopods live, the water temperature is near freezing. Typically, the colder the environment, the longer it takes for eggs to develop, and the more time they're exposed to potential predators. Warmer temperatures expedite the development process. It's believed that a mother Pearl octopus uses this phenomenon to promote faster development of her eggs.
Pearl octopus mothers gather in huge groups, constituting the largest known gatherings of any octopus species. There may be thousands of mothers, all seeking out the warmer waters of deep ocean hydrothermal springs. Unlike hydrothermal vents that spew cloudy heated water far above the ocean floor, hydrothermal springs have heated water seeping from cracks in the ocean sediment. Mothers gather in droves around these ocean bottom fissures where the temperature is warmer.
Here, egg development that might have taken 5 to 10 years takes just under two, making the eggs far less susceptible to predation. The mother octopus remains with her clutch the entire time, splaying her arms in a defensive posture. Predators to the Pearl octopus include skates, other large fish such as Rockfish and Dogfish, sea lions and fur seals, as well as beluga whales. In turn, these invertebrates eat crabs, other crustaceans, and small fish. A mother Pearl octopus doesn't eat while she protects her brood, and shortly after they've matured, she'll die. Her body, however, contributes to the organic cycle around the hydrothermal spring, making these habitats full of life.
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